indiana

bar admission administrative agency:

executive director
indiana state board of law examiners
1070 south tower
115 west washington street
indianapolis, in 46204-3417
tel: 317/232-2552
fax: 317/233-3960
website: http://www.inbar.org/
website: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/

bar admission options:

without bar examination
an applicant who meets the state bar requirements listed below and who has not failed the indiana bar examination within two years of the date of application may be admitted provisionally without examination if the applicant:
1. is licensed to practice before the highest court of any u.s. jurisdiction; and
2. has been actively engaged in the practice of law for a period of at least five of the seven years immediately preceding the date of application. for this purpose, "engaged in the practice of law" means:
a) regularly performing legal services for the general public;
b) employment on a full-time salaried basis by a governmental or business entity as a lawyer performing duties for which admission to the practice of law is a prerequisite;
c) teaching law on a full-time basis in an accredited law school;
d) serving as a judge of a court of record; or
e) any combination of the above.
admission is granted conditionally for one year and may be renewed up to five years if the attorney is actively engaged in the practice of law, and predominantly in indiana. upon the fifth consecutive renewal, admission to practice will be permanent.

application deadline: none

application/admission fees:
$750.00 initial application; $50.00 each succeeding year until admission to practice is permanent.

with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.

examination components:
1. academic: 2 mpt questions, mbe, and 6 state essays
2. ethics: mpre with a scaled score of 80 within two years of the successful taking of the indiana bar examination.

examination dates:
february (deadline november 15)
july (deadline april 1)

applications with late fees are accepted for 15 days past deadline date.

application/admission fees: $250.00

other state bar requirements:

1. minimum age: 21

2. character check by the indiana committee on character and fitness prior to examination.

3. graduate of a law school approved by the indiana supreme court or by the aba at the time of applicant's graduation.

4. required annual fees: $90.00 (active attorneys); $45.00 (inactive or retired attorneys)

regulation of in-house counsel:

rule 5.5(a) of the indiana rules of professional conduct states:

a lawyer shall not practice law in a jurisdiction where doing so violates the regulation of the legal profession in that jurisdiction. this would appear to indicate that in-house counsel in indiana must be members of the indiana bar and that, if they are not, they are involved in the unauthorized practice of law.

bar association status:

[ ] mandatory

[x] voluntary
annual dues: $55.00 (less than 3 years after admission); $115.00 (3-6 years after admission); $230.00 (more than 6 years after admission).

specialty certification:

the indiana rules of professional conduct delegate to the indiana commission for continuing legal education the responsibility for authorizing rules governing attorney certification. the commission has approved programs sponsored by the american board of certification, the national board of trial advocacy, the national elder law foundation, and the indiana bar association family law section.

areas of specialization include:

• business bankruptcy
• civil trial advocacy
• consumer bankruptcy
• criminal law trial advocacy
• elder law
• family law